Chandni chowk, The heart of old delhi,India

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In the heart of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk is a busy shopping area with markets full of spices, dried fruit, silver jewelry and vivid saris, while the narrow side streets are crowded with tiny shops selling essential oils, stationery and traditional Indian sweets. Nearby, the vast Mughal-era Red Fort now houses a museum complex, and the 17th-century Jama Masjid is a huge red-sandstone mosque with towering minarets.
The Chandni Chowk (Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor of India Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahanara. The market was once divided by canals (now closed) to reflect moonlight and remains one of India's largest wholesale markets.[1][2]
The market's history dates to the founding of the capital city of Shahjahanabad when Emperor Shah Jahan established the Red Fort on the banks of the Yamuna River besides his new capital.
The original Chandni Chowk, half-moon-shaped square, itself was located in front of Municipal Townhall and its reflection use to shine in the moonlit water pool located in front of it. A shallow water channel was built from Yamuna, which ran through the middle of the straight road currently known as the Chandani Chowk Bazaar, with roads and shops on either side of the channel. This road had three Bazaars.[3] Chandni Chowk, or the Moonlight Square, and its three Bazaar were designed and established by Princess Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter, in 1650 CE. Originally containing 1,560 shops, the bazaar was 40 yards wide by 1,520 yards long.[4] The bazaar shaped as a square was given elegance by the presence of a pool in the centre of the complex. The pool shimmered in the moonlight, a feature which was responsible for its name.[5] Shops were originally built in a half-moon shaped pattern, now lost. The bazaar was famous for its silver merchants, which also have contributed to the name of "Silver Street"[6] as silver is referred to as Chandi in Hindi, a slight variation of which forms Chandni.
The pool in the chowk was replaced by a clock tower (Ghantaghar) until the 1950s. The center of the market is still referred to as Ghantaghar. Chandni Chowk was once the grandest Indian market.[7] Mughal imperial processions passed through Chandni Chowk. The tradition was continued when Delhi Durbar was held in 1903. Delhi Town Hall was built in 1863 by the British.
The term Chandni Chowk originally referred only to the square that had a reflecting pool. Now the whole straight road which runs through the middle of the walled city, from the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid is called Chandani Chowk. The road was then divided into three following bazaars:[8][3]
Urdu Bazar: Lahori Gate of the Mughal royal palace to Chowk Kotwali near Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib was called Urdu Bazaar, i.e., the encampment market. The Urdu language received its name from this encampment. Ghalib noted the destruction of this market during the disturbances of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and its aftermath.
Johri Bazar: Chowk Kotwali to Chandni Chowk (location of now demolished Ghantaghar, presently in front of Municipal/Town Hall) section of the straight road was originally called Johri Bazar.
Fatehpuri Bazar: 'Chandni Chowk' to Fatehpuri Masjid section of the straight road was originally called the Fatehpuri Bazar.
Now choked with congestion, the market retains its historical character.[9]
Kucha, katra and havelisEdit
The road now called Chandni Chowk had several streets running off it which were called kuchas (streets/wings). Each Kucha usually had several katras (cul de sac or guild houses), which in turn had several haveli's. The following terms are generally used to describe the buildings and the streets:[9]
Mohalla (neighborhood): is a residential neighborhood with Kuchas and Kartras within Kuchas.[10]
Kucha or Gali (street): Kucha in the Persian language is synonymous with "Gali" or street in the Hindi language. It is a street or a zone with houses whose owners shared some common attributes, usually their occupation. Hence the names Kucha Maliwara (the gardeners' street) and Kucha Ballimaran (the oarsmen's street). Kuchas either had rows of large Havelis or gated cul de sac (dead end) "Katra" marketplaces along with them.[3]
Kucha mahajani : is one of the biggest gold trading hub and wholesale jewellery market in Asia.[11]
Katra ( houses whose owners shared some common attribute, usually their occupation, hence the name.[10] Katra refers to a separate wing of tradesmen and craftsmen belonging to the same trade. They usually lived and worked together in a gated cul de sac,

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@gksv45 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, enjoyed thoroughly

@pantelisorama 2 жыл бұрын

Namaste from Greece!!!!Plz post more videos from different areas e.g Paharganj,around train station,Caunnaught etc.May i ask,can someone smoke freely publicly???